Follow me on Twitter

For more than 20 years, Aubrey Gladstone has served as president and CEO of Gladstone Consulting, Inc., a firm that goes beyond traditional consulting with its hands-on strategy implementation. A graduate of the MBA program at University of Pittsburgh, Aubrey Gladstone gained years of work experience as a pilot and business manager between college and pursuing his MBA.

Many aspiring business leaders face the decision of whether they should continue their education in a graduate program before gaining real-world experience. Some choose to start an MBA program right away, while others enter the workforce for a few years and return later. Here are three benefits tied to the latter approach.

1. Expand personal perspective

Staying in school will no doubt open one up to a variety of knowledge and learning, but it will be limited to the environment. Taking some time to work before returning, by contrast, helps balance the way young professionals see the business world.

2. Improve admission chances to the right school

Applying to an MBA program straight out of undergraduate studies places a student in a pool of hundreds of similar candidates. Venturing into the workplace helps differentiate prospective grad students from others, and it helps aspiring MBA students determine what schools best fit their interests.

3. Secure scholarship funding

Professional schools, including graduate business programs, rarely offer teaching assistant positions, so scholarships are typically the only way candidates can receive financial help. A number of schools place individuals with work experience over those without when awarding these funds.

As the president of Gladstone Consulting Inc., Aubrey Gladstone directs the organization in providing services to companies needing assistance with corporate liquidation, problem resolution, and litigation support. As a business owner, Aubrey Gladstone recognizes the benefit of hiring individuals with military experience for executive positions.

When considering new executive talent, many large corporations are turning to people with military training. Unlike their civilian counterparts, young officers receive extensive leadership training and are frequently engaged in situations that require them to apply that training in intense, real-life situations. These skills can transfer to civilian employment in the corporate realm.

Though highly experienced in the art of leadership, former military personnel often need additional finance and business training to supplement their military experience. Many colleges and corporations recognize the potential of these individuals and work to fill in the knowledge gap.

In addition to receiving excellent, practical experience in leadership, former military personnel are known to be team players who actively work to motivate, organize and direct their teams toward accomplishing the end goal. Because of the value the military now places on creative and adaptive thinking, individuals with military training can also draw on those skills in corporate environments to overcome complex problems.

Finally, veterans are often very skilled at setting goals and creating measurable steps to reach those goals. As part of normal operating procedure, military personnel are required to regularly analyze their performance and honestly assess their mistakes in an effort to learn from them and ensure they are not repeated.

The recipient of an engineering degree from Lehigh University, Aubrey Gladstone has over 35 years of experience as a commercial pilot. Aubrey Gladstone taught his daughter Brooke to fly when she was 16 years old. She now works for Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace enterprise.

Boeing’s decorated history began July 15, 1916, when its founder, William E. Boeing incorporated Pacific Aero Products and started testing planes out of a University of Washington wind tunnel. The following year, after the United States declared war on Germany, Mr. Boeing enrolled in the Navy Reserve and renamed the business the Boeing Airplane Company. In its early years, the company made furniture and phonograph cases, among other products, to supplement its aircraft production. By 1928, however, it had become the largest aircraft manufacturer in the country.

A member of the Aviation Hall of Fame, William Boeing attended Yale University, but left at age 22 to pursue a career in logging. He established the Greenwood Timber Co. in 1908, shortly before he became interested in airplanes, and continued to run the business up until 1954. He died in 1956.

An experienced business consultant, Aubrey Gladstone has operated his consulting firm Gladstone Consulting, Inc., for more than 20 years. Aubrey Gladstone also has more than 35 years of experience as a pilot and advocates for the growth of small airports.

Small airports benefit the economy and the general airport system in a number of ways. First, small airports keep private traffic away from major commercial airports. If a small, single-person aircraft had to land at a major airport, it would take up a slot that could be used by a commercial jet with over 150 passengers.

Secondly, private airports are critical to the business aviation sector, which sustains 1.2 million high-wage jobs in the United States and accounts for $150 billion per year in the U.S. economy. In large part, this is due to the manufacturing jobs created by the demand for business aircraft.

Lastly, small airports allow passengers to visit remote places without access to major commercial airlines. Of the 5,000 public-use airports in the country, only 500 receive commercial airlines. This access to remote areas benefits not only businesses, but also residents of these areas who require emergency travel for medical purposes, making private airports a vital part of the U.S. aviation industry.

Aubrey Gladstone has been flying throughout the United States for decades, and, like most other general aviation pilots, depends upon small, local airports for safety and ease of travel. Aubrey Gladstone understands the importance of general aviation and community airports in business and personal travel.

Small, local airports are an integral part of the larger aviation system. Local airports are crucial for local commerce. They contribute to the strong network of airports that allows industry to move products to points where they are needed. Commerce needs a diverse network of air services to operate efficiently, which means airports both large and small are critical.

Smaller airports also provide greater opportunities for general aviation. They serve hobbyists, flight schools, news organizations, emergency services, and many other groups. Busy executives use general aviation services at community airports to quickly travel multiple times in a day. Medical patients take advantage of small airports when they need to travel for lifesaving procedures, and air ambulances use these facilities to reach patients outside of major metropolitan areas.

Aubrey Gladstone is an experienced business administrator and project manager who has served as president of Gladstone Consulting for more than two decades. He has been a commercial pilot even longer, flying with National Jet Corp. since 1980. Over the course of his aviation career, Aubrey Gladstone has flown a wide range of aircraft, including the Cessna Citation SP series.

Part of the 500 Citation series, the Citation I/SP was one of the first single-pilot, owner/flown jet aircraft. It shares the same turbo-fan-powered engine as the original Citation I, which featured a cockpit designed for two pilots. Both of these business jet models entered into production in 1977.

Because it was configured for a single pilot, the Citation I/SP allowed room for an extra passenger on the flight deck. The cabin is designed to seat up to six passengers and features both a full-width lavatory and a small galley/refreshment center.

Cessna ceased production on both the Citation I and the Citation I/SP in 1985. The company ultimately replaced the Citation line with the CitationJet several years later.

Aubrey Gladstone who has been a pilot with National Jet since 1980, has spent more than two decades as president, chief executive officer, and project manager at Gladstone Consulting, Inc., in Boca Raton, Florida. Outside of work, Aubrey Gladstone is an active tennis player.

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) first standardized its computer rankings system in 1973. Since that time, 26 men have achieved the world No. 1 ranking, with 17 finishing as year-end No. 1. Of these competitors, Australian Lleyton Hewitt carries the distinction of being the youngest man to attain the No. 1 ranking.

In 2000, Hewitt won the men’s doubles titles at the US Open with Max Mirnyi. At age 19, Hewitt became the youngest men’s doubles champion in tour history. He reached the ATP World Tour Finals that season, the first teenager ever to accomplish the feat. The following season, Hewitt would set a number of additional youngest-ever records. He won six titles that year.

For the second consecutive year, Hewitt finished among the tour’s top eight players and reached the tour finals. At age 20, he finished the round-robin portion of the event without a loss. He then progressed to the final, defeating Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean to finish the year as the top-ranked player. Hewitt won the 2002 Wimbledon and ATP World Tour Finals events, holding the No. 1 ranking the entire season. He ultimately spent 80 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings.